From the UBC Graduate School of Journalism: Reporting in Indigenous Communities, the only journalism course in Canada to focus exclusively on Indigenous news stories. Under the guidance of award-winning CBC-TV journalist Duncan McCue, professors Kathryn Gretsinger and Chantelle Bellrichard, twelve students produced reports on land in Indigenous communities across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.
Our community partners include the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, Tsawwassen First Nation, Stó:lō Tribal Council, Stó:lō Nation, and the Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council.
Our mainstream media partner is CBC Indigenous. Our stories will also be featured in an episode of CBC Unreserved in May 2017.
Our Team
Reporters: Alex Migdal, Andrew Seal, Anya Zoledziowski, Emma Loy, Francesca Bianco, Haley Lewis, Holly McKenzie-Sutter, Seher Asaf, Sharon Nadeem, Taranjit Dhillon, Sophie Gray, Yusheng Cai.
Teaching Assistant: Rohit Joseph
Drone Footage: Jaione Belza Guede
Web Editor/Professor: Chantelle Bellrichard
Senior Editor/Professor: Duncan McCue
Radio Producer/Professor: Kathryn Gretsinger
Our Logo
The logo for our Reporting in Indigenous Communities website is a Coast Salish-inspired design, in recognition that the University of British Columbia is located on the traditional territory of the Musqueam First Nation and to acknowledge the Coast Salish heritage of the First Nations we cover in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
The camera lens in the middle signifies our role as Journalists and Witnesses, and symbolizes a circle that, in many Aboriginal cultures, represents interconnectedness.
Attached to the lens, the logo has crescents and trigons — key design elements of Salish art. Salish artists often combine these symbols to represent a feather.
Our logo has four crescents that symbolize the Four Directions, in recognition that Indigenous people from many different Nations now call Vancouver and the Lower Mainland home. Likewise, our students at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism come from across Canada and around the world.
Lenkyn Ostapovich of UBC Arts’ Instructional Support and Information Technology designed our logo.
While we were eager to find a word from an Indigenous language for our title, it can be a challenge in a place such as the Lower Mainland, where Coast Salish peoples traditionally speak several distinct languages (not to mention all the languages spoken by urban Indigenous residents, such as Carrier, Kwak’wala, Anishinaabe, Cree and many others).
The Sḵwxwú7mesh word for land is “Temíxw”. And Halkomelem has two dialects: downriver and upriver. Upriver dialect is more properly called Halq’eméylem (spoken in over two dozen communities from Aitchelitz to Yale), Downriver dialect is more properly called Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (spoken in six communities including Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Tsawwassen).
So, we settled on “tém:éxw.”
haychka siem… kw’as hoy… chen kwen mantumi… miigwech… to all those who have shared advice and expertise in Indigenous languages, including Khelsilem and www.firstvoices.com.
Our Textbook
For additional information, check out Duncan’s online guide to Reporting in Indigenous Communities, a place where journalists and journalism students can learn useful ideas and practical methods for finding and developing news stories in Indigenous communities.
Alex Migdal interviews Tsawwassen First Nation elder Ruth Adams about her memories of visiting Canoe Pass with her family.
RIIC journalist Haley Lewis gathers natural sound on land around Canoe Pass.
Squamish Elder Latash-Maurice Nahanee explains the salmon smoking process to journalist Yusheng Cai in front of his smoke house in North Vancouver.
Naxaxalhts'i Albert “Sonny” McHalsie recounts the transformer story of Xéylxelamós, now known as Lady Franklin Rock. McHalsie’s company, “Bad Rock Tours,” is named after this site.
Adopted Tsleil-Waututh member Raelene Esteban points out a pictograph on a rock face to Anya Zoledziowski while on a reporting trip to Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park.
RIIC journalist Taran Singh meeting community members at Seabird Island.
RIIC journalist Andrew Seal talking with Hereditary Chief Elaine Malloway at Yakweakwioose First Nation's longhouse.
